Isaiah 41:21-29

Contemporary English Version

Idols Are Useless

²¹I am the Lord,
    the King of Israel!
Come argue your case with me.
    Present your evidence.
²²Come near me, you idols.^[a]
Tell us about the past,
    and we will think about it.
Tell us about the future,
so we will know
    what is going to happen.
²³Prove that you are gods
by making your predictions
    come true.
Do something good or evil,
so we can be amazed
    and terrified.^[b]
²⁴You idols are nothing,
    and you are powerless.^[c]
To worship you
    would be disgusting.

²⁵I, the Lord, appointed a ruler
    in the north;
now he comes from the east
    to honor my name.
He tramples^[d] kings like mud,
    as potters trample clay.^[e]
²⁶Did any of you idols predict
    what would happen?
Did any of you get it right?
None of you told about this
    or even spoke a word.
²⁷I was the first to tell
the people of Jerusalem,
    “Look, it's happening!”^[f]
I was the one who announced
    this good news to Zion.

²⁸None of these idols
are able to give advice
    or answer questions.
²⁹They are nothing,^[g]
    and they can do nothing—
they are merely
    a passing breeze.

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Footnotes

41.22 Come near … idols: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
41.23 and terrified: Or “when we see it.”
41.24 powerless: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
41.25 tramples: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
41.25 trample clay: This was done to soften the clay and make it easier to shape.
41.27 Look … happening: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
41.29 nothing: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.